Body News: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Trendy New Weight Loss Weapon

From macrobiotics to grueling three-week cleanses, Gwyneth Paltrow is no stranger to dieting extremes.

But this year the super svelte actress, 40, skipped the torture of her annual detox. “I am not on a diet,” she revealed recently. “Not this year. Can’t do it!”

Instead, she’s keeping her body slim by loading up on superfoods – and the trendy chia seed. That’s right, the same tiny dark seeds as in Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pets, “the pottery that grows!” Seems these crunchy little granules are a great weight loss tool, too. They fill you up – not out!

“Chia seeds swell to five times their weight in your stomach,” says Dr. Frank Lipman, an integrative physician based in NYC who advises Gwyneth for her web site Goop. “It’s a great way to get full easily.”

Calling the poppy-like seeds “nature's little powerhouses,” Dr. Lipman tells Life & Style, “They’re also great to keep your digestion moving because they're full of soluble and insoluble fiber."

Recently dubbed the “it" seed in the New York Times (flax is so five minutes ago), chia can be found in some 100 grocery products.

But Gwyneth, who’ll publish a new cookbook It’s All Good in April, prefers whipping up her own chia concoctions, including a chia seed pudding, which she eats for breakfast.

Dr. Lipman suggests sprinkling the seeds in soups, smoothies or salads. “They’re fantastic!” he says. “And you will lose weight because you’re filling up on good calories rather than junk that makes you fat!” Who knew?

Check out his Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe here and pick up Life & Style, on newsstands now, to see the other eight superfoods Gwyneth’s adding in to her regimen!

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